Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-02-04

G. !APiL R ~
Il found these words somewhat
strange. continued H,'lln"n. ''hul his
trli" meaning never struck upon mo
Oh, he walled. cl.>ping his hands. lit
never struck upnu me-. Nv thoughts
on'y turned to Sol and: fpr my master
had been talking of going there to STD
a Scotch laird. a friend Of hi. and be-
lrvrd he had taken a sudden rrsolu-
ton to pay the visit then; thought he
had pallcd ont his trunk to put in some
things he might want, before ] packed
il. ! asked him when he intended to
start, and he replied that should
know all in the morning; and | went
back to my bed"
Charles had sat down on the nearest
chair; his eyes We're strained on R"u-
ben. Had he a fOrcshowng of what
WIS to come?
'.ln the morning one of tho women
servants came and woke me. Her face
Startled ME the moment l opened my
eyes; it was white and terror-stricken,
and she asked me what that stream Of
blood meant that had tricklcd from I'M
der the door of nv masters chamber.
lwtnt there when ! had put a thing or
two on. Master Charles" lie added,
dropping his voice to dread whisper.
"he had indeed gone on his Journey"
''Was he dead?'
"He had been dead for hours. The
razor was lying beside him. near the
door; told YOU his throat was bare.
have never forgotten that dreadful sight;
thought has always been haunting
me that, had understood his meaning
as | might, it would have been pre-
vented"
His trunk-what did he get that out
for?"
ITO blind ne-as I have believed
since"
"Why did he commit the deed?"
gloomiiy continued Charles. whom the
account seemed t. have partially So
bered.
''He had got into the clutches of the
same sort OF people that YOU have. sir.
and they had iiceced him down to beg
gary and shame; and he had not the
resolution to leave them. and face the
poverty; that was the way he did it..
His worst enemy was Captain Haugh-
ton. He is Colonel aughton now. "
'What do you mean?" cried Charles
Dalrymple, after pause of astonish-
ment.
"Yes, sir, the same man. He is
your evil genius, and he was your I'M
cle's before you. The last time l saw
him was when we both stood together
over my masters dead body; he came
in, along with others. He must have
been stark mad was his exclamation,
as he looked down at him. Perhaps
so,Captain Haughton,' answered, but
the guilt lies on him who drove him so.
He took my meaning, and he skunk
away. and we never met him again till
he called here the other day, after you,
sir. | knew him and he knew me;
don't think he'll come here again. Mr..
Charles, you had better have fallen into
the meshes of the Fiend himself than
into that mans"
MY uncle must have been insane
when he did this" uttered Charles
Dalrymple.
1.-The jury said otherwise" sadly an
swered Reuben. ''They brought it in
felo-de-Sc, and be was buried by torch
light. without the burial service
The news had told upon Charles.
His mind just then was chaos. Moth
ing tangible showing out of it, save
that his plight was as bad as his I'M
cle's and he had been looking, in his
persistent inf.tuation, for that night to
redeem it. He rose up after awhile
and signed to Reuben to let him pass.
The latter's spirit sank within him.
lis what have told you of no avail,
Mr.. Charles. Are you still bent on
going forth to those wicked menP 1t
will be your ruin"
at is that already" were Charles
words. "Reubtn, rs it was with my
uncle. SO it is with me; I am ruined.
and worse than ruined, and after to-
night will know Colonel Haughton
no more. But have resolved to make
one desperate effort this night to re-
deem myself, and must do it. Uill
try it. it is the only chance. Let me
pass"
The servant could not help himself;
he saw there was no hope of controll-
ing or turning him, and he drew aside.
And Charles went out with what he
had taken from the desk in his breast
pocket.
What strange infatuation could have
been upon him? If you have been
drawn into the fiery vortex of gamb-
ling, you will not ask; and if you have
not, it would be difficult to make you
understand it. Charles Dalrymple was
q desperate man; and, besides that.
the feverish yearning forplay, in itself,
was strong upon him; as it always was
now, at that night hour. AS yet the
ha ha1 Int
barrassment and poverty; he was now
about to stake what was not his, and
risk guilt. And yet, he went forth; for
the dreadful vice had got fast hold OF
him.
Mr.. Piggott had been cooling his
heels and his patience outside, not
blessing his young friend for the I'M
necessary and unexpected delay and
not doing the opposite. lie was of too
equable nature to curse and swear;
he left that to his peppery partner,
Haughton.
Il thought You had gone to bed" he
said, when Charles appeared; ''in an
other minute l should have come to
see after you"
Charles Dalrymple did not reply. He
linked his arm within Mr.. Piggott's.
and walked on, in silence, in the d.
rection Of Jermyn street.
They entered the "hell." 1t is not a
pleasant word for polite pens and ears,
but it is an exceedingly appropriate
one. 1t was blazing with light, and as
hot as - as its name, and fiery
countenances of impassioned triumph,
and agOnized cOuntenances vascillatinS
suspense, and sullcn countenances OF
despair. were crowding there. Colonel
Haughton was in a private room; il
was mostly kept for himself and his
friends, choice knot, of whom, he
was amidst, when Charles and Mr.. Pig
gott entered. Down sat Charles at the
green cloth, wild and eager.
ut is of no use to make fools of us, {"
whispered Colonel Haughton. "You
know YOU do not possess another silver;
why take up placer"
"Now, Haughton, you are too strin-
gent" benevolently interposed Mr..
Piggott, laying hold of the Colonel's
arm, and giving it a peculiar pinch.